KEY POINTS:
Executives face the most time pressure and stress in an organisation.
Yet if they can find time to exercise and look after their mental and spiritual health, the entire organisation can benefit in measurable ways.
Companies that promote and encourage corporate fitness programmes experience increased productivity and reduced absenteeism, which currently costs New Zealand business $1 billion a year.
Fit executives and other staff often have better competitive streaks than their couch potato compatriots, which can't be bad for business.
Executives who are fit and healthy, says Katheren Leitner, director of TrainingPlus, have better attitudes, improved self-belief, pride, and confidence in their organisations, which makes them easier for staff to follow.
Peter Waterhouse, director of The Corporate Fitness Company, says other benefits of having staff participating in common sporting programmes include:
* A greater goal focus across the company.
* Staff gain interest in each other's goals and achievements.
* Enhanced teamwork, ethics and morale.
* Promoting a fun and positive environment.
* They become better able to manage stress and focus on key issues.
There are some misconceptions, says Waterhouse. Some employees think that going out at lunchtime to do exercise will make them tired and sleepy in the afternoons, whereas the opposite is usually true.
Leitner recommends executives build exercise into their routine, but within reason.
That doesn't mean going all out on an exercise bike every single day for two hours.
"For [some] executives, I am suggesting they go out for a daily walk to release that stress."
Some may be better off doing a yoga class once or twice a week.
Research done among clients by the Corporate Fitness Company found that client companies engaging in regular outdoor exercise programmes reported consistently beneficial results.
"Over 50 per cent [of participants in outdoor exercise programmes] reported considerable or major impact on work performance and more than 80 per cent reported the same impact on company teamwork and morale."
But it's no use management simply throwing money at the programme and not walking the talk. Says Waterhouse: "If there is a separatist sort of approach, with executives saying, `We will pay for you to do a half marathon but we won't do it ourselves', there is less enthusiasm."
Overall, more than 90 per cent of participants in his company's programmes reported that they found senior executive involvement, or promotion, an extra incentive to get involved.
But being a fit and healthy executive doesn't just involve doing exercise.
Leitner says: "The health of executives is about getting everything in balance. It is not only about work life balance, an often misunderstood concept. It's about everything being in right proportions."
Many companies are instituting wellness programmes.
Optimal wellbeing brings an abundance of natural energy, vitality and optimum performance, according to Southern Cross, which runs a Switch2Well wellness programme. The programme offers financial incentives, wellness leave and spot prizes for staff members who participate in walking programmes.
Southern Cross Healthcare Group Chief Executive Ian McPherson says the benefits to businesses are numerous.
Employee self-assessed productivity rose on average by 7.6 per cent after they joined.
"The overall wellness of staff has had considerable improvement with organisational health check report results. Alcohol [consumption], smoking, cholesterol, blood pressure and stress all showed improvement, although weight remained unchanged."
Southern Cross won an EEO Trust Work and Life award in the innovation category.
The ASB runs a wellness programme across the organisation. All staff have the opportunity to have a full health check once every two years, which in the minority of cases has saved lives, says John Barclay, head of group human resources at ASB.
The majority are given advice on how to improve their scores in a number of health areas such as weight and blood pressure.
"We link them through to a whole lot of information," says Barclay.
The ASB and its subsidiary Sovereign encourage team participation in events such as the annual Round The Bays fun run in Auckland.
For the mind and spirit, staff are offered access to external counselling through the ASB's Employee Assistance Programme.
Barclay says improved wellness benefits the organisation by smoothing out the ebbs and flows in energy and improving employee engagement, which has a spin-off for productivity and retention.
Switch2Well at Southern Cross began as a series of pilot activities in 2006, including in-house Weight Watchers groups, team-based walking challenges and on-site health checks.
Other initiatives that were rolled out included:
* Vouchers for nutritional consultations and sessions with personal trainers.
* Nutritional seminars held during work time. Subsidised smoking cessation programmes during work hours.
* At Southern Cross, results began to show after six months. Some of the successes included:
* 27 employees gave up smoking.
* A combined weight loss of 355 kg by 71 staff on Weight Watchers.
* An impressive 94 per cent of staff have participated in some aspect of the Switch2Well programme since its launch and 57 staff have earned wellness leave.
The alternative is to have staff members that are highly stressed and unproductive.
Leitner says it is important to have an ongoing relationship with a coach or mentor to ensure mental and spiritual fitness.
"The coach can provide support, challenge them, encourage them and help with getting the proportions right. What athlete serious about their performance doesn't have a coach?"
www.corporatefitnes.co.nz
www.healthyexecutives.com.au/newsletters/1
FIGHTING FIT
* Being fit and healthy increases employee engagement and staff retention.
* Exercise programmes will help enhance teamwork.
* Fit people are more goal-focused.
* Executives need to lead by example - throwing money at wellness doesn't necessarily work.
